Editor’s note: In commemoration of the year gone by – and in anticipation of the year to come – we turned to some of the bigger and more interesting names in Colorado beer. Here’s what they said about 2011’s best and their hopes for 2012 …

In 1993, Adam Avery talked his dad Larry into giving up on retirement, and the two established Avery Brewing Company. After a challenging first few years, Adam decided to take a chance on a recipe that was a personal favorite, a highly hopped big beer called Hog Heaven. With the success of that beer, Adam said he realized that brewing what he loved was more important than trying to fit into established categories of the craft beer industry. Avery Brewing Company now maintains 18 year-round and seasonal beers, a growing barrel-aging program, and continues to push the boundaries of craft beer. — (from the brewery).

Our new iPad app serves as a guide to metro Denver’s bountiful breweries, beer bars and bottle shops, the holy trinity of craft beer enjoyment for followers and fans. Download the app for iPad .
Next time you head for a beer in Boulder, don’t forget your friend, Beers of Boulder and Boulder County, an iPad app from the Daily Camera. Download the app for iPad .

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In Colorado, our pint glasses overflow with excellent beer. New breweries, new batches, festivals every other week. How lucky are we? First Drafts is The Denver Post's beer blog aimed at helping you keep tabs on the state's ever-expanding craft beer culture. We offer a mash of news, event coverage, homegrown stories, tasting notes and tips to help you imbibe. Expert drinker or homebrewer? Let us know what you're loving about Colorado's beer scene. Not sure exactly what a firkin is? No worries, let us be your guide. Go ahead. Belly up and drink it in!